Using a BlackBerry with ubuntu Hardy Heron 8.04

Barry, the software package he reccomends installing can also be installed by double-clicking on the RPM files that are available on the SourceForge.net site for the tool: -
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Alternatives to Microsoft Office

 

Sun Microsystems have now released v3.0 of their popular ‘OpenOffice.org’ productivity suite. It’s a fantastic alternative for current users of Microsoft Office, or those who wish to have the functionality of the Microsoft Office suite, but do not like the high pricetag.

It has compatibility with all the Microsoft Office file types (including new .docx for Microsoft Word 2007)

- See more at: http://www.jaytag.co.uk/blog/page/4/#sthash.VmCsdRU8.dpuf

 Sun Microsystems have now released v3.0 of their popular ‘OpenOffice.org’ productivity suite. It’s a fantastic alternative for current users of Microsoft Office, or those who wish to have the functionality of the Microsoft Office suite, but do not like the high pricetag.

It has compatibility with all the Microsoft Office file types (including new .docx for Microsoft Word 2007)

- See more

How-To: Install a Graphics Card in Your PC

Tiger TV have an easy to follow walkthrough on installing a new graphics card into your PC:



Both Maplin and Insight are good places to buy a graphics card – Insight is a little cheaper than Maplin also (if you are prepared to wait for the card to be delivered!): - See more

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware

Some key features:

This handy utility removes a variety of different viruses and malware, and is available free!

Here is a list of some of the viruses it can remove.

•     Support for Windows 2000, XP, and Vista.
•     Light speed quick scanning.
•     Ability to perform full scans for all drives.
•     Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware Protection Module.
•     Database updates released daily.
•     Quarantine to hold threats and restore them at your convenience.
•     Ignore list for both the scanner and Protection Module.
•     Settings to enhance your Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware performance.
•     A small list of extra utilities to help remove malware manually.

See more...

Enable DVD Playback in Ubuntu – Fast

It’s a pain that ubuntu does not play DVDs ‘out of the box’ as it were.

To fix this, quite simply, open a terminal session and type:

sudo apt-get install totem-xine libxine1-ffmpeg libdvdread3
sudo /usr/share/doc/libdvdread3/install-css.sh That should be it!

...See more

Installing Ubuntu 8.04 on a Viglen MPC-L

 

The Viglen MPC-L (<– PDF link) is a low powered (both in terms of CPU speed and power consumption) compact computer.

They are extremely similar to the Linutop machine (i.e. identical) and are actually an FIC ION 503 under the hood.

It comes preinstalled with xubuntu, a version of ubuntu that substitutes the gnome window manager with XFCE.

Better still, email Duncan Hargreaves at Viglen (tell them the ubuntu podcast sent you) and you can pick one up for a mere £79.

If like us, you are a stickler for utilising similar OS environments for support reasons (including the window manager) then a full install of ubuntu is the way to go.

Other than gnome, a newer version of ubuntu is necessary for long term support – the version of xubuntu preinstalled on the MPC-L is 7.04 which is now end of life. This means no more automatic updates (in fact, these result in a 404 error…).. See More

Conficker Virus – Think you have it?

 

The Conficker virus has to be one of the most difficult to get rid of. But how can you quickly diagnose if you have it?
There are some well known signs:

Windows Update and Automatic Updates are blocked System Restore has been turned off You cannot access anti-virus websites (such as Symantec, McAfee, AVG etc.)

There is now also an even quicker way:

Click Here Think you might be infected? - See more

Using Gmail as your SMTP server

If you are anything like us, you will often find yourself on the go, but needing to send and recieve emails. Changing your ISPs regularly (in our example, to Vodafone 3G) might mean that you cannot use the SMTP server you have set in your favourite mail program.

There is a way around this however – you can use Google’s Gmail as your SMTP server – that way you will be free of your ISP’s grip over outgoing mail.

You will first need to set up a gmail account – any address will do.
Here is how it is done within your normal email client:

1. In your email client software, set the ougoing SMTP server to smtp.gmail.com
    
2. Set the username on the SMTP server to yourgmailemailaddress@gmail.com and make sure “Use username and password” is checked. 
3. Ensure “TLS” is selected under “Use secure connection” 
4. Set the Outgoing SMTP port to 465. 

It has been noted that Google have replaced the ‘sent from’ address with your gmail address. There is a way around this. The solution is to go into your gmail Settings, then accounts and make an account other than your gmail account the default. This will re-write the From field with whatever the default account’s email address is. Here are a couple of pictures of the configuration in Outlook 2007: - See more

Microsoft Office has not been installed for the current user...

 

This is quite a common problem it seems – after installing an update to Microsoft office, some of the applications will not open.

Here is one solution:
Create a temporary Windows login account with administrative rights, then log into that new account.

While logged in as the temporary user, open every Office product you have, then close one at a time (Excel, Word, Powerpoint, Project etc…) After opening every Office application, start regedit.

 (Start > Run > then type in Regedit)
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software > Microsoft > Office, and highlight Office Right click on Office, and select ‘Export’ Save the .reg file somewhere on your computer – note down the location... See More